IbStuck
by enderRaven
Summary: 7 years after the Forgotten Portait ending, Ib comes back to rescue Garry. However, on that same day, Rose, Dave, John, Jade, Aradia, Tavros, Sollux, Karkat, Nepeta, Kanaya, Terezi, Vriska, Equius, Gamzee, Eridan, and Feferi all go to a certain art gallery for a day of rest, and relaxation. Poor Karkat ends up in the gallery, as well as someone else... Can Ib save Garry?
1. Chapter 1: The Gallery

**I do not own Ib or Homestuck. I simply wanted to do this for fun! Btw, all the trolls are in their original outfits. No god tier outfits. So, yeah. Also, follow this story, it will be awesome, I promise. Unless you happen to read it after I finish it. Then don't bother, because once I finish it, I obviously wouldn't add more to it. The final chapter will be labeled; Epilogue. Obviously. So... yeah. Enjoy! :D ~enderRaven**

**P.S. ***SPOILER WARNING!*** DO NOT READ THIS STORY UNLESS YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ENDING OF IB, OR JUST DON'T CARE.**

**Chapter 1: The Gallery (Narrator P.O.V.)**

Karkat looked around and sighed. "Why did we come here, again?"

"Because," John replied, "It will be fun, just you wait and see. This is _Guertena, _a famous Earth artist."

"If he was as stupid as all you other humans, than I shudder to think what we'll encounter here." Karkat groaned.

"Calm down, Karkitty, it will be great! Don't be grumpy." Nepeta smiled.

"Yeah, Karkat. I bet the art gallery will taste delicious!" Terezi grinned.

"I have seen plenty of Guertena's pieces. They are quite wonderful, really." Rose smirked.

"Yeah, well, great. Lets just go walk in circles for an hour, then get out of this place. I can already imagine, we'll be stuck here for sweeps!" Karkat growled.

"Don't be liike that, kk. IIt wiill be fiine. We won't be thtuck here for thweeps, ath you tho graciiouthly put iit."

"Sollux is right, though I hate to admit it. Wwhatevver." Eridan frowned, "Let's keep going, this place looks interesting!" Everyone continued forward, ignoring the stares of the people around them.

"Hey, guys, I think I want to look on my own. At my own pace, you know? Take in all of the artwork." Equius said.

"Sure, as long as I can come with you. We can both be alone to look at art!" Nepeta grinned.

"I'm not sure you have the correct definition of alone... but sure." Equius sighed.

"You know, I think I want to be alone too. But not with you guys. I actully want to be ALONE alone." Karkat growled.

"Sure, just don't get lost!" Rose smiled. Karkat scoffed and walked up the stairs. He looked around, taking in his surroundings.

"I can't imagine how many dead wrigglers it must have taken to make all this art..." Karkat sighed. He continued down the hallway, past the Death of the Individual sculpture. "Terezi would hate these. They don't have heads; how could you hang them?" Karkat blushed a little, thinking about Terezi. He continued down the hall, stopping at the Fabricated World painting. "This painting sucks. It looks like something Nepeta would cough up, after drinking a gallon of Faygo and eating a box of crayons. Fabricated World? How is this even a world?" Karkat raged. Just then, the lights went out. "Gah! What the- ?" Karkat looked around wildly. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to his dim surroundings. "Guys, where are you?" He called. No reply. "Guys, this isn't funny! Where are you?" Karkat called, a little louder. Still no reply. "Guys? Where ARE you?" Karkat yelled. He ran around the gallery. He quickly realized that not only his friends were missing; everyone was missing! "Just where am I?" He wondered aloud.

"Hey, guys. I think it's a miracle that almost everybody is here together, and we haven't attacked eachother... yet. But, where's Karkat?" Gamzee asked.

"Good question, Gamzee. Where did he go?" Kanaya asked.

"Who cares? That guy wanted to be alone. I don't think going to look for him would produce any good results." Vriska sneered.

"You don't produce any good results." Kanaya muttered under her breath.

"Ooooooooh! Burn!" John laughed, imitating Vriska.

"Not funny, John." Vriska frowned.

"Sorry." John replied.

"Guyth, let'th keep moviing." Sollux sighed.

"Yeah, Sol is right, an I hate agreein' with Sol. Let's keep movvin- Wwhoa, wwait a second. Wwhere's Gamzee?" Eridan stated. The group all stared at each other.

"Did anybody see where Gamzee went?" Rose asked.

"No." Everyone replied in unison.

"Well, that isn't good. How could that clown sneak off? I mean, he's pretty hard to miss, with his honking and all that face paint." Rose fretted.

There was an awkward silence, until Sollux spoke up, "I'm thure we wiill fiind hiim later. He couldn't have gotten too far, riight? He probably went lookiing for kk." Everybody agreed, and relaxed a little. Where he had went, they would never know.


	2. Chapter 2: Ib

**Yeeeeeee, chapter 2! Took a while, but I did it! Also, if any of you have actually played Ib, you probably have guessed where Karkat went. Ehehehehe. :) Anyways, yeah. So, I noticed that my story is currently the only one under this category. If anybody actually reads this I'll be surprised. But I am going to continue the story anyway, because I'm convinced it will turn out awesome. Thanks for reading this! ~enderRaven**

**P.S. ***SPOILER WARNING!*** DO NOT READ THIS STORY UNLESS YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ENDING OF IB, OR JUST DON'T CARE.**

**Chapter 2: Ib (Karkat's P.O.V.)**

I am thoroughly confused. I mean, seriously, where the heck am I?! I reach for my sickle defensively, but then I realize, it's not there! I keep walking down the stairs to the lobby, when I see a staircase I didn't notice before. My friends are probably down there. It's all fine. I continue down the new staircase. I look around, but at the base of the stairs, it's just a mostly empty room, with a few boxes and paintings lying around. Just think, if I'd had my luck any worse, I would have been smeared onto a painting just like these ones. I shudder at that thought. I turn around to go back up, but there was now a solid wall where the stairs had been! Okay, now I'm REALLY confused. Like, ten times more confused than I was at first, and at first I was pretty dang confused. "Hello?" I call out, because I can't think of much else to do. No seriously, it's just a room full of random crap. I notice a door over in the corner, with another statue of a headless human by it. I walk over to the door and try to open it, but it's locked. "Dang it!" I hiss. I was trapped in this room, with a bunch of dead grubs smeared onto canvases now. I seriously don't understand why everyone else loves the art so much. To me, it's like walking around in a mausoleum, and admiring the dead corpses. Like, ooh, Terezi! Look at that one! It looks like a bunny with all it's limbs amputated off! Haha, isn't that just HILARIOUS? No. No it is not, imaginary Karkat. Just as I finished that thought, the arm of the statue shot out and grabbed my shoulder. "GAAAAH!" I scream, as I was pretty sure this was all made of dead stuff. Now I feel sick to my stomach, as I come to the stunning conclusion that this "art" is made from LIVE grubs! Blech. That's just messed up. The door unlocks, and I'm out that door faster than a flaming hoofbeast being chased by an angry Gamzee! I race down the hallways, flying around corners and racing past more statues. I was now positive that there was no way I was going to stop until I came across a place with no "art" waiting to kill me. I notice a place with no angry grub canvases, and decide to rest there. I see a box in the corner, and I'm pretty sure that the box doesn't want to kill me. So, I sit on the box, because I'm exhausted, and boxes make for... acceptable chairs, after all. I sit down. Shortly after sitting down, I realize that I should not have sat down. The box was hollow, and all I did was crush the box. Why is past me always so stupid? I remove myself from the remains of what used to be a box. Just then, a human girl, wearing a red dress, and having her entire body from the torso down inside of a black canvas, comes whirling around the corner. What grub has black blood? Only the stupid part of me is able to wonder that, because the rest of me is preoccupied with screaming my lungs out. I do a one-eighty, spinning around and running for my life. I come accross a door, which was unlocked, thankfully. I rush into the room, slamming the door behind me. The door has no lock, which I am slightly worried about, until I hear her pounding on it, and I realize that she probably can't open the door without help. She's kind of like the female, human version of Tavros. Except, Tavros can open doors by himself. This girl has no excuse. I sigh in relief. I turn around, to check for art. But, there is none present, which I think is the best thing that's happened to me all day. However, there is a strange flower in a vase on a table, in the center of the room. I walk up to it, thinking that it must be dead, but then i notice that it is alive, just grey colored. Is this some kind of joke? If it is, then it's not funny. I pick up the flower, and look at it. Upon closer inspection, it looks exactly the way Jade described a rose. Not the person Rose, it just turns out there is a flower named after her.

At the time, past me had asked her why she had an Earth flower named after her, and she replied, "On Earth, everyone has a plant named after them." Past me had asked her if there was a plant that was named after him, and she had responded, "Yes, your plant is called the Crab Apple." Now, I am pretty sure she was being sarcastic. Well played, Rose.

Anyways, everybody had burst out laughing, and past me, being the stupid idiot he is, had replied, "But my name isn't Crab Apple. Is this some kind of Earth joke?" Everybody had been looking at past me like he was crazy. I am still a little embarrased about what past me had said. I hate past me so much. Whatever. That was then. Now, my main focus is to get out of this place alive. Then I can rant some more on past me's ignorance. I stuff the rose in my pocket. Suddenly, the air around me starts to feel very stuffy. I get ready to make a dash out the door and past the art. So, I run out the door. I speed past the human art, screaming all the while for good measure. I'm good at screaming. :) As I continue down the hallways (yes, all of the hallways, for the moment anyway), I suddenly smash head-first into a human girl. "GYAAAAH! MORE ART!" I scream.

"What? Who are- EEEEEEEK!" She squeals.

"Wha- what?" I stammer, not sure if she's friend or foe.

"Y- you... You... Your skin... It's grey. And... You have horns? What are you? Is it Halloween already?" The human girl gasps, apparently regaining some of her composure.

"Yes, my skin is grey. And I do have horns... But, what is this 'Halloween' thing?" I was thouroughly confused. The humans haven't told me anything about something called "Halloween." ...Yet.

"Umm, Halloween is this thing that happens once a year, where pretty much everybody dresses up in costumes, and goes to other peoples' houses and asks for candy. Why?"

"You think this is a costume?" I ask, my words coming out a bit more threatening than I intended. Stupid past me.

"Uh, I did... But, I'm assuming that you... Actually look like that?" She said.

"Yes. I do look like this. Glad we got that straightened out." I reply, still a little ticked that she had actually thought I was wearing a costume.

"Um... Sorry. My name is Ib. What's yours?" She mutters, weakly.

"Karkat." I tell her.

"...What?" Ib asks.

"Karkat. My name is Karkat." I reply, again.

"O- oh. Okay... Karkat. What are you doing here?" Ib queries.

"I could ask you the same question." I growl, ever so slightly. I want to make sure she was at least somewhat friendly, before I admitted my... Unfortunate predicament.

"Umm... Let's see... It was a while ago. I came here when I was nine years old..." She starts.

"Human years, right?" I interrupt her.

"Err, yes. Now I am sixteen years old. Anyways, I came here and got lost... And then I met a man named Garry. We both helped each other to escape. Along the way, we met a girl named Mary, but she turned out to be evil, and tried to kill us all. Then, Mary stole Garry's rose, and plucked all of the petals off of it." She continues.

"Rose? He had a rose?" I ask.

"Y- yes. He had a rose. So do I. Why?" She wondered.

"Err... nothing."

"Anyways, Mary plucked all the petals off of Garry's rose. The rose is tied to our life forces." I suddenly remember that I have a rose. I'll have to ask her if it is tied to my life force, too. Ib continues, "Garry fell asleep. At least, I'm pretty sure he was asleep." If your life force got shredded, you probably wouldn't just "fall asleep", you would most likely die. But I decide to not point that out to her. "I got his lighter, and I went upstairs and burned Mary's painting. Oh, I forgot to mention- Mary was a painting. Anyways, I burned Mary's painting, and she died. I went and escaped the gallery, leaving Garry behind. I was supposed to have forgotten all about him, but, for some reason, I didn't. Now, 7 years later, I came back to rescue Garry, and then, I was walking through the halls, looking for Garry, when I heard a loud scream. Suddenly, a creature with grey skin and horns, who goes by the name Karkat, comes crashing into me. And that's where the story ends, so far." Ib sighs.

"Cool story." I mutter, "So, both you and this Garry human had roses?"

"Yes."

"And they were tied to your life force?"

"Yes."

"I have a rose."

"Really?"

"It's grey." I pull it out of my pocket and show it to her. Suddenly, the air around me feels less stuffy, but colder.

"That's an interesting color for a rose."

"Yes, yes it is. You know, this is the first time I've actually seen a rose."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I've heard about them, but this is the first time I've actually seen one."

"That's interesting. Where are you from?"

"A planet called Alternia."

"You are an alien? Cool. I should have guessed."

"What did you think I was?"

"A painting."

"Really? Well, okay, I guess. Anyways, Alternia doesn't exist anymore."

"That's sad."

"I guess."

"Tell me your story."

"What?"

"I told you my story, now you tell me yours. How did you end up here?"

"Umm, okay. My story is nowhere near as good as yours. It's actually quite pathetic."

"That's fine. I'm curious."

"Okay. Umm, so, me and all of my... Well, for the sake of argument, we'll call them friends."

"Go on."

"So, me and my friends went to an art gallery, to, well, look at art."

"Okay."

"I looked at this horrible painting. I hated it so much."

"..."

"And, then, everybody disappeared, and the lights went out. I walked around for a while, and ended up here."

"That's a great story."

"Really? Are you being sincere right now?"

"No, not at all, but... Hey, you're alive, that is impressive enough. Want to come with me? You'll get to escape, once you help me find Garry."

"Sure, you've been here before, so you probably know more than I do..."

"Okay then , it's settled. Let's go." Ib smiles. And with that, we're off. And I barely have any clue what I am doing. Have I lost my mind? Going with a human? Oh well, there isn't much choice. It's either roll with it, or die. I guess I'll go with her. What could possibly go wrong?


	3. Chapter 3: An Explanation

**Yeah. Yup. I know. This is kind of stupid. :'( Oh well! I still intend upon finishing this story! BTW, sometimes it gets hard for me to write. Not neccesarily because I run out of ideas, although it happens a lot. It's mainly because I have a mental problem, and sometimes I just don't feel like writing. So, yeah. However, I DO want to write this story, and I'm nowhere NEAR short on ideas (I have an entire document full of them! :o) ) So, I think this will turn out JUST fine! Don't hate on me plz, or it might turn out less fine. D: ~enderRaven**

**Chapter 3: An Explanation (Ib's P.O.V.)**

Well, I'm here. At the gallery. Again. I'm still deciding whether that's good or bad. Not to mention this alien that is walking here beside me. Is he even friendly? He seems friendly enough. His name is Karkat. I kind of like that name. It's funny. What is he, though? He still looks kind of like he could be a painting, although he denies it. I mean, Guertena often came up with weird stuff like that. I suppose I'll have to trust him, just like I trusted Mary. I'll have to keep a close eye on him, since Mary tried to kill me. Twice. Oh well. What is he called, anyway? He reminds me a bit of a vampire, except, vampires don't have horns. "Hey, Karkat?" I ask.

"Yeah? What is it?" He replies gruffly.

"I know you're from Alternia, does that mean that your species is called, like, Alternians, or something?"

"Well," Karkat explains, "We are sometimes referred to as Alternians, although we are most commonly called trolls."

"So, you're a troll?"

"Yes." And we continue to walk in silence. I got tired pretty fast. I mean, Karkat's version of 'walking' is much faster than my version of walking. It was more of speed walking, but Karkat didn't seem to care much.

"Hey, Karkat, are you tired?"

"Umm, no." He replies, looking a little confused, "Not at all."

"Really? Well, okay. Anyways, I'm exhausted. Can we rest?" I plead.

"Fine." He replies. We sit down in a room filled with boxes. It looks just like the room where Mary found that cursed knife, all those years ago. I silently swear that if Karkat finds a knife, I am going to freak out.

"Hey, Karkat. Why do you want to get out so much?" I ask.

"Why do you keep asking me all these pointless questions?!" He growls.

"Um, sorry."

"I have a lot of friends I need to get back to." Karkat sighs. And we sit on the boxes in an awkward silence. Suddenly, I feel very sleepy.

"Karkat, I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up if something happens." I tell him. He probably knows better than to leave his guide behind. If he did, that would probably mean that he doesn't need one. And unless he is a painting, he needs a guide in order to live. I lay on a makeshift bed of boxes, and close my eyes.

"Wait." He says.

"What?" I mutter drowsily.

"If you're resting, I probably should too. I have no idea how big this place could be. Would it be all right if I slept too?" He asked.

"Sure, fine. I don't see why not." I sigh. I don't see why he needs my permission. But then I realize, he wasn't asking for permission to sleep, he was asking me to not leave him behind. So he does need me. I smile at the thought. This big troll, at my mercy. I hear him building something out of cardboard boxes. I wait a while, until I hear his gentle snoring, indicating that he was asleep. A few minutes later, I fall asleep too.

I have a regular dream, a happy one. I was at a cafe, with Garry. We were having some Macaroons, and Garry says, "Hey, Ib. I'm waiting!" I giggle, and keep eating macaroons.

I ask him, "Waiting for what?"

"You to find me!" He laughs.

"Why? What game are we playing?" I smile.

"Hide and Seek, of course!" He grins. He suddenly disappears. I look around, confused. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Garry calls, "You've almost found me! Keep going!" And then, I wake up, with a warm feeling. I'm sure that Garry is somewhere close. I look over, and I see that Karkat is still sleeping. I consider leaving, but I decide against it. Karkat obviously will need my help to get out of here, and I can't in good consience just leave him here to die. However, I do want a bit of fresh air, because the room is kind of dusty, and reeks of mildew. Not to mention Karkat. Whenever I heard about trolls in bedtime storys, I always imagined these big, green, slimy, warty things, with clubs, that smelled like rotten meat. Karkat is nothing like my imaginary trolls. I mean, he looks better and smells a LOT better than I imagined a troll would. However, all the same, he still smells... Less than great. As I make my way over to the door, a shadowy figure flies by, and I can't make out a single detail about it. Suddenly, the lights go out.

"Ah! What?" I gasp. I hear a noise, though I can't quite tell what it was. Suddenly, the lights flicker back on, and the door is blocked by a statue. "Aww, not again!" I whine. I walk over to the other door, because last time, one of the two doors was open. Not this time. Both of the doors are blocked by Headless Statues. I hear a splattering noise behind me. I turn around, and I see a message written on the wall, written in a purple color, which contrasted with the yellow walls. I walk up and read the note, which only says one thing.

"HoNk. :o)"


	4. Chapter 4: Seperation

**Ehehehe! LOL. Peoples reactions. :D Anyways, chapter 4! Thanks for reading! Also, the chapters from Karkat's P.O.V. will likely take longer, because... He's Karkat. Karkat gets lots of attention. :33 ~enderRaven**

**Chapter 4: Seperation (Ib's P.O.V.)**

Karkat is still sleeping. There is a creepy note on the wall. And I am trapped in this room. What next? I hear something moving behind me, so I whirl around to face it. I was expecting something worse, but it was just Karkat, half-awake and confused. "Ib?" He asks.

"What, Karkat?" I reply.

"What's that you're looking at?" He asks. I step away so he can see it. "Honk? ...Honk. Oh, oh no." Karkat looks worried.

"What is it, Karkat?"

"Nothing. It might not be... him."

"Who?"

"Just forget it, okay? I doubt he would be in a place like this. And if he was, he would make himself known."

"But, if it is... Whoever you're talking about, didn't he make himself known by writing on the walls?"

"That is true. But, if he comes back, I'll tell you. And then I'll explain all about him. Until then, just drop it." Karkat mutters.

"Okay. But, we're stuck here. What should we do about these statues? They're blocking the way." I sigh.

"Oh, them? That's easy." Karkat grins. He picks up a box, and smashes it over the statue. The statue shatters into tiny black shards, with scraps of bloodred cloth adorning the destruction.

"Karkat!" I protest, "That was a really bad idea! You likely made them mad!"

"Okay, so I made some brainwashed chunks of colorful clay, ceramic, and cloth angry. So? Will they come after me with their angry little clay lusii? Will they come to shove my own horns down my protein chute like an idiotic schoolfed chump?" Karkat smirks.

"Karkat, first of all, this is no laughing matter! Two, I don't understand half of what you just said." I scold.

"Okay, sorry." Karkat sighs dramatically, "Let's get going. No point in sticking around here!" We walked out the door, taking care not to cut our feet on the little black shrapnel. We walked down the hallway, with it's bright yellow walls, and it's dark chunks of stone poking out from behind rips and tears in the almost perfect wallpaper. Soon, we come accross another door. Karkat and I debate whether or not to go through it. Eventually, we decide to go through, since there was nowhere else to go. We gasp at the sudden change in atmosphere. The walls are purple, dark purple. There are empty canvases lining the walls, a few of them having purple :o) and :o( faces, and a few are torn around the edges. After a while, we come across the end of the hallway. to the left and right are doors, while in front is a picture of someone who looks similar to Karkat. The troll, at least I assume it's a troll, had a shirt with a funny purple symbol, polka-dot pants, and tall horns. I couldn't see it's face, because it was blotted out for some reason. Karkat seems even more unnerved because of this painting. Better get him away from it.

"Come on, Karkat. Better get moving." I smile nervously. Karkat agrees, and we walk away quickly. As we walk, I hear the noise again. After the note, I recognize that the noise actually is honking. We turn around, and suddenly, mannequins, painting women, and other random pieces of art are chasing us. I look at the painting of the troll, and where the face was blotted out earlier, there was another purple :o) face. We run, and run, and run some more, until I can't see or hear any sign of the art. "Heh, that was a close one, eh, Karkat?" I grin. I turn around to see Karkat's reaction, but he isn't there! "Karkat? Karkat!" I call. No reply. I run around, looking for any sign of the troll. "Oh no..." I mutter. Where could he have gone?


	5. Chapter 5: Prisoner

**Oh, man... I feel so evil now. XD Ehehehe! LOL. Anyways, chapter five! Yeah! What will happen to Karkat? Will we ever know? Well, yes we will, actually. That's the whole point of writing this chapter! Ehehe. Yeah... There are so many triggers in this story... Kankri would be SO MAD if he were reading this. But, he probably isn't, right? ~enderRaven**

**Chapter 5: Prisoner (Karkat's P.O.V.)**

Okay, I just have one thing I'd like to mention fast, I HATE MY LIFE. IT SUCKS. We were just minding our own buisness in the hallway of death, and suddenly all of these STUPID pieces of MUTILATED GRUB MUSH come after us! Now I can't find Ib, I'm completely lost, and the art is still after me! As a matter of fact, they are right behind me right now. All of them. Did any of them actually go after Ib? They probably did, but at this point, Ib either escaped, or died. Hopefully she escaped. Anyways, if there were any chasing her, they are chasing me now. Where's Vriska when you need her? Oh, wait, nevermind. She'd probably steal any remote trace of my luck that still exists. My thoughts rush through my head in pointless tirades, to take my mind off my imminent fear. But it's not working so well... My anger won't stay long, like it usually does. Instead, it goes away. I'm not angry anymore. Just very, very scared. If only one of my friends were here. ANY of them! Feferi, with her optimism, Kanaya, with her chainsaw of murder death, Terezi, with her supportiveness, hell, I'd even put up with ERIDAN! Just somebody. I run around the hallways, but they won't go away. They are a lot faster than the other stuff. Why are they faster? Did they, like, join the Subjugglators? I didn't know that art could join a crazed cult of clown worshipping psychopaths. Anyways, I'm running. And running. And running. But, I can't stop. Because they're always there. I'm starting to get tired, but I can't stop. Not yet. Soon, I start to feel REALLY tired. I can't keep up this sprint much longer. "GO AWAY-!" I start to scream at them, but, then I trip, and they overtake me. Now I'm surrounded, and there is nowhere to run. Something hits me on the head, and I pass out.

I wake up groggily. What time is it? I have no idea. I can't see anything. Why are the lights off? Oh, wait. The lights aren't off, I'm just blindfolded. Wait, blindfolded? What's going on? Then my memory rushes back. I was knocked out, and now I'm... What am I doing. Two statues- at least, I think they were statues- were holding tightly onto my forearms. I'm walking somewhere, but I'm not sure where I'm being led to. I can't run, because I can't see where I'm going. After what felt like hours, we finally stop. I hear a door unlock. Suddenly, my blindfold slips off. This is my chance! I break free from the cold, ceramic grip of the statues, and run as fast as I can. It didn't work as well as I planned. Several paintings block my way, and it's a straight hallway, so I can't choose another path. I run up, and try to jump over them. It almost worked... I was almost across when one of their arms shot out and grabbed my ankle. I trip, and fall flat on my face. It hurt... Luckily, I don't sustain any injuries. Unluckily, I get hit in the head again.

After however long it takes to wake up, I wake up. This time, not only am I blindfolded, but I'm tied to something, as well. I think it's a bookshelf? I'm not sure... After much effort, I manage to pull a book out of the bookshelf, and then accidentally drop it, and it makes a loud noise. I listen, worried that the art might come back. Nothing happens, at first. Then, I hear footsteps. The door opens and closes, and now I'm trapped in a room with a mystery art. "Ah, I see you're awake." It's a girl's voice.

"Yeah, is there a problem with that?" I growl.

"No, no. I've been waiting for you to wake up. Same with my... Accomplice. He's been DYING to meet you! Hee hee!" The voice giggles.

"Where am I? What do you want?" I ask her.

"Oh, you're in the gallery! Obviously, silly! As for what I want? I just want to have a little chat with you!" Even though I can't see her, I can tell that she's enjoying this.

"So, what do you want to chat about?" I sigh, wanting to get this over with.

"You! Oh, and Ib." She sighs.

"What have you done with Ib?!" I growl.

"Oh, nothing. She escaped, after all." The voice mutters.

Suddenly, we hear from outside, "Mary! MARY! Huh, who are you? Get away- were you eavesdropping on Mary? What is WRONG with you? Go AWAY!" Then, we hear a series of honks, shrieks, and thuds. And then silence.

"...Well, that was interesting." Mary sighed.

"...Who was that?" I ask.

"It doesn't matter." She muttered. Suddenly, I hear her walk up to me. I can feel her presence less than a few feet away. Then, she slaps me. I have NO idea why, but she did. I can feel a petal fall out of my pocket. "So that's where you keep it? In your pocket? Wow." She laughs. She puts her hand into my pocket, and takes my rose.

"Whoa, what are you doing?!" I shriek. She rips off a petal, and I feel a sharp stab of discomfort.

"It's a pretty shade of grey. Shame I have to do this to it." She sighs. She rips off another petal. Is she trying to torture me? "You know, it's pointless. You can't escape. You're stuck here. You can't leave!" Mary grins gleefully. She tears into another petal, and I cry out in agony. She seemed to be pulling out the petals slowly, for her entertainment. How cruel can you get? "Only four petals left! Whoops, three!" She laughs as she pulls out another. It feels like I'm being repeatedly stabbed in the gut with a flaming knife. It hurts...

"Stop, stop it, please..." I beg.

"Two!" Mary giggles.

"S- stop..." I groan. I can barely keep myself consious at this point. Ib wasn't kidding when she said this was tied to my life force...

"One! And done!" She snickered, "Oh, did you think I was going to kill you? Oh no, silly! I have a plan all laid out, and I need you alive. But, I can't have you going anywhere anytime soon, can I?"

"..." I remain silent. The pain is overwhelming, and I can't keep myself consious much longer.

"You look tired. I'll let you rest. But, I'll see you again soon! Byyeee! Ohohoho!" Mary cackles. As I hear the door click shut behind her, my mind goes blank, my body goes limp, and I black out.


	6. INTERMISSION

**INTERMISSI9N FR9M KANKRI: I WAS reading this, ender. This has s9 many triggers, I c9uld spend SWEEPS tagging them all. I mean, first 9f all, this st9ry has N9THING t9 d9 with Karkat and I6's lives (eR: Yes 1t does. D: ), sec9nd, this is h9rri6ly m9r6id (eR: 1t's not THAT bad!) three, THIS IS MAKING ME FEEL TRIGGERED. H9w d9 humans read this stuff with9ut feeling triggered? Here, ender, since y9u are clearly incapa6le 9f d9ing s9 y9urself, I will tag this wh9le st9ry f9r y9u. Y9u're welc9me. (eR: NOOOOOO! DON'T DO THAT! D: ) Here is a list I c9mpiled 9f s9me 9f this st9ry's triggers. P9ssi6le triggers include, 6ut are n9t limited t9; #Chasing, #Kidnapping, #Hitting, #Vi9lence, #F9reshad9wing, #R9ses, #T9uching, #Art, #Pain, #Running, #D99rs, #Walls, #Ceilings, #H9nking, #Hidden Vi9lence, #Sp9ilers, #Suffering, #Ag9ny, #T9rture, #Human girls, #Mysteri9us v9ices, #Tr9lls, #Death, #Murder, #Su6jugglat9rs, #6etrayal, #Tears, #Paintings, #Culled gru6s #Mashed gru6s, #C9l9rs. If any 9f y9u feel the need t9 c9ntact y9ur m9irail, d9 s9 n9w. N9w, please, g9 6ack t9 y9ur human... What was it called? Ah yes, "Fanficti9n." G9 6ack t9 y9ur fanficti9n. And try n9t t9 feel t99 triggered 6y the f9ll9wing events. (eR: How d1d you get 1nto my story..?)**


	7. Chapter 6: An Unlikely Rescue

**:) Yeah... Sorry if the chapters update a little slowly. I only have internet from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on regular days, and I don't have it at all on sundays. Not to mention homework, and all sorts of other things. I'm only 5.4 Sweeps old! If I'm too lazy, I'll get culled... D: That wouldn't be good. I can't continue the story if I get culled... Eh, I won't get culled. So... Chapter 6! Enjoy! ~enderRaven**

**Chapter 6: An Unlikely Rescue (Ib's P.O.V.)**

"Karkat? Karkat, where are you?" I call. The only thing that replies is my own echo. I continue to search around. I look in boxes, under tables, in closets, and almost anywhere that could house a hiding troll. Eventually, I hear footsteps. "Karkat? Karkat! Is that you?" I call again. No response. I run over to the sound, and I see the same dark flash rush by. The lights flicker, but they remain on. I walk in the direction that the shadow came from, and I find Garry standing there. "Garry? Garry! Oh, Garry, it's you! I'm so glad you're here!" I rush up and hug him, "Garry! Where have you been?" I cry. Garry smiles at me, and returns my hug.

"Ib, I've been here the whole time! I've been waiting for you." He replies, smiling.

"Garry... Have you seen... A funny gray creature with horns running by?" I ask.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I saw some statues dragging off the limp body of a weird gray creature. I decided to stay out of it, because I assumed it was more art. Why? Do you know it?"

"That was Karkat! He's one of my friends!" I tell Garry.

"Oh, dear. Where and when did you meet him? Is he really friendly?" Garry looks really serious now. I stop hugging him so I can recollect my thoughts.

"I met him after I came back to the gallery. I first found him in one of the hallways. He really is friendly!" I smile.

"Really? How do you know he's friendly? He's not even human." He replies.

"Well... He helps me out... and he tries to protect me..! It's fine if he's not human. I don't mind..." I look away.

"Hmm, if you really think he's friendly, I'll believe you. But be careful, alright?" Garry sighs.

"Okay! Can you take me to where you saw him?" I ask.

"Sure! Follow me." Garry smiles briefly. He motions for me to follow, and walks away. I follow him carefully, making sure he doen't get away. Before long, we stop at a red hallway. We look around for a while, searching for any sign of Karkat. "Ib! What color is Karkat's rose? Does he have one?" Garry calls.

"He has a rose," I respond, "It's gray."

"Well," Garry continues, "I found a trail of gray petals.

"Really? We should follow it!" I reply excitedly.

"Are you sure? It could be a trap." Garry frowns.

"It doesn't matter if it's a trap or not! Karkat will be at the end of this trail, and I need to find him!" I insist.

"Alright then. If you say so..." He sighs. We follow the trail, which is evenly and widely spaced. At the end of the trail, we see a door. We walk up to the door, open it, and peer inside. My insides twist up when I see what's inside. Karkat, blindfolded and tied to a bookshelf, with a small pile of gray petals at his feet.

"Karkat!" I shriek. I run up, and check his pulse. He's still alive, but badly injured. Thank goodness. I look around the pile of petals, and locate the stem. It has only one petal left on it. What exactly happened? I suppose I won't know for a while. But, I need to get this rose to a vase, and fast. "Garry, do you know where a vase is?" I plead.

"Y- yes. There's one just a short ways down the hall." Garry replies.

"Hang in there, Karkat... I'll be back soon!" I mutter.


	8. Chapter 7: Hope

**You know what? I have to admit that this story hasn't gotten much attention, but I really can't help that. -_-' But, it's okay. I enjoy writing it. BTW, I definitely won't get short on ideas, because I have the whole plot laid out on a seperate document. I just have to write the chapters! It makes it easy when you do that. I am pretty much just filling in the skeleton of the story! ...That wasn't the best analogy. ...Meh. So, there should be around 16 chapters. So... Chapter 7! Ahahaha, yay! :D ...this first paragraph might be a bit morbid for some minds, so, might want to skip over that. Just a warning. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go vomit into a dumpster. Oh, I have one more thing to say. This is important. Very important. SUPER important. So important that it will BLOW your SOCKS off, and then LAUNCH them into space, where they will INCINERATE as they re-enter the atmosphere, then, your SOCKY ASHES will land in the depths of YOUR MOTHER'S SOCK DRAWER, and then, and THEN, I'MA THROW YOUR MOTHER'S SOCK DRAWER INTO A VOLCANO, AND THAT VOLCANO WILL EXPLODE! And this important thing is... Oh. I forgot. Oh well. ~enderRaven**

**Chapter 7: Hope (Karkat's P.O.V.)**

Ugh. Everything hurts. I don't understand. Everything around me is colorful, and... weird. I'm standing in a pile of dead bodies, and my hands are... Bloody? I think it's blood, maybe paint. Or perhaps grubsauce. I hope it's just grubsauce. The walls are a bright red, the color of my blood. There are paintings all around me, except they just sit there, unmoving, like they're supposed to. At the end of the room is an empty canvas, and a knife at the base. The room is dim, and smells musty. There are no doors, and no windows, so the room is completely sealed off. I try to move, but my feet are stuck. I listen, but everything is silent. But not for long. Soon, I hear honking. It starts off quiet, like you wouldn't even notice it without the silence. However, it quickly escalates to a roaring din. I struggle, but my feet are still stuck firmly. I look down, and realize that my feet are being held still by rose vines. The paintings are all staring at my predicament now, grinning with the sick pleasure of my impending death. They leap off the walls and slowly make their way over to me. They grab onto my arms, my legs, and any other limbs that move. They all hold onto me, preventing my movement. The rose vines slip off, and the paintings drag me over to the canvas. Next thing I know, I'm tied to a board, lying on the floor in front of the blank canvas. I look to my left, and I see a dark shadow slowly walking towards me. The paintings around me were getting restless, like barkfiends waiting for the alpha to make the kill. The shadow looms over me, holding the knife, with the crazy grin of a psychopathic murderer. The last thing I see is my blood, splattered across the canvas, in that horrible little smiley face Gamzee always draws.

"GYAAH!" I wake up screaming. Beads of sweat roll down my forehead, and I feel nauseous. Thank goodness, it was just a dream. I'm still tied to a bookshelf, but someone was kind enough to remove my blindfold. I look around frantically, trying to remember everything that had happened. Some art girl named Mary... She has an accomplice... Mary shredded my rose... My rose! Where is my rose?! Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap... Now what? Am I still going to die? Was everything Mary said a joke, to make my death more amusing? Aaah, where is Ib? Is she all right? Urgh, I want to scream, but I don't have enough strength left after that dream. I feel like there is a knife in my chest as it is, with all the waiting and being helpless. I feel cold, hungry, thirsty, and weak, but above all, lonely. I wish there was someone friendly to talk to. I don't like being alone. "Hello?" I call out quietly. No answer. There is nothing to do but sit here, and wait. So I'll sit here and wait, I guess. After what I believe to be about fifteen minutes, I hear footsteps. Instantly I'm on guard, just waiting for something to jump out and attack me. For a while, nothing happens. I listen to two voices debating about something, but nothing else happens. Then, the door bursts open with a loud _CRACK! _Ib comes running in, with an adult human guy by her side.

"Karkat! You're alright! Thank goodness!" Ib grins.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am." I don't mention my dream to her.

"So, this is that famous Karkat fellow I've been hearing about?" The man asks.

"Yeah, I'm Karkat. But I'm not famous, not in the least bit." I frown.

"Oh, you must be joking! Ib has been talking about you non-stop! She's been worried sick." The man smiles at me.

"Really? Has she?" I give him a surprised look. This man seems nice enough, so why do I feel uneasy?

"Oh, yes. I think she might like you!" The man comments.

"Garry, cut it out! I don't like him! Well, I like him as a friend, but not like that!" Ib protests.

"Sorry, Ib." Garry apologizes.

"Your name is Garry?" I ask.

"Yes. My name is Garry." Garry sighs.

"I feel like I recognize that name. Wasn't there a painting that was named something similar? Or... Oh. I forgot. " I falter, forgetting what I was going to say.

"There is a painting similar to me. But, he isn't me. Be careful, alright?" Garry looks worried.

"Hey, Garry!" Ib says, "Tell him about your escape plan!"

"You have a plan?" I ask.

"Yes. I do." Garry smiles.

"Alright, tell me about it!" I grin, "After you untie me."

"Fine," Garry sighs, undoing the ropes with incredible precision.

"I had forgotten how good it felt to not be tied up!" I yawn, stretching my newly freed limbs.

"Good, good," Garry sighs, "Anyways, there is a place, called The Toybox. You remember it, right, Ib?"

"Yeah. I remember it. A little too well." Ib shudders.

"Well, that is where we're going." Garry smiles apologetically.

"Why?" Ib asks.

"Because, the only exit I know of is in The Toybox." Garry frowns.

"Hey, Garry," I wonder, "How is it that you knew of this exit, yet never escaped?"

"Because, it's dangerous to go alone." Garry stares at me.

"Understandable, I guess." I stare back.

"Well, if we are going to The Toybox, we should get going! To Mary's old sketchbook!" Ib breaks the tension. We all agree. So, we start walking.

"Hey, Ib, do you have my rose?" I ask.

"Yeah. Here it is!" She pulls it out from her pocket and hands it to me. We continue on in silence. Off in the distance, though, I swear I can hear it again.

_honk... HONK... honk... HONK..._

**EKTHPLOTHIONTH! I am DOING an AUTHOR'S NOTE at the END! I won't do this much, but I need to tell you guys the important thing that I just remembered out of your mother's lava-filled sock drawer. AND IT IS... one times one equals oneteen! :P ~enderRaven**


	9. Chapter 8: Confusion

**:) Hey everybody. How's it going? Good? Good. Hey, did you buy your mother a new sock drawer? Purrfect. Wait, what? You didn't? Well, why not? Your mother's sock drawer is fine? Well, I guess my statement the other day wasn't important enough to qualify for a sock drawer. D: Aww. Guess what? Chapter 8! Did something special! READ CHAPTER 8. IT IS A SPECIAL CHAPTER. Super duper DUPER special! WoRtH aT lEaSt SeVeN fAyGoS! Ehehe. If it's too hard to read, let me know and I'll fix it. Just take in note that Sollux has a lisp, so be thinking about that as you read it, so that you can understand words like, Ekthibith (Exibits). With Sollux's lisp, I replace S with TH, and X with KTH. Okay? Okay. Enjoy! Goes well with a side of butter and chives. If you don't understand something, it probably is being lisped. Thith ith a really thort chapter, I'm thorry. ~enderRaven**

**Chapter 8: Confusion**

Where did KK go? I wonder where KK went. And Gamzee. Gamzee and KK are gone. Two mithing trollth. Ith too bad, really. I wath hoping to thow KK the "Ah" and "Uh" Ekthibith. I like the colorth on them. Well, it'th okay, becauthe I can look through the other ekthibith. Tho I do. I walk down the thtaircathe, and look around the lobby. I head thouth, and wetht, and through theveral doorwayth. I caught Feferi looking at the "Abyth of the Deep" painting, and called out, "Hey, Feferi!"

"Oh, hey Sollux!" She replieth to me.

"What're you looking at?" I ask her.

"This painting, Abyss of the Deep. The monster reminds me of my lusus." Feferi smiled sadly.

"Oh. Okay." I mutter, and then I walk away. I wind up in a peculiar ith a rainbow of doorth in thith hallway. I look around, and realize that there are thirteen doorth. Each door ith one of our blood colorth, exthept for black. I check out each room, before thtopping at the purple door. Each room wath themed after what motht often went through each troll'th mindth. I could jutht tell. And... I wathn't thure if I wanted to know what wath in gamzee'th mind. Of courthe I went in anyway. Hey, I wath curious! What I found there thouroughly dithturbed me. Of courthe, there were the honk faceth, and the clownth, but there were altho little blue dollth all over the floor. I've never theen Gamzee with one of thethe before! But then, I thtart to thee paintingth of women on the wall. I can't say I'm thurprithed, thince thith wath Gamzee'th room. But then, I thee a painting of a girl, wearing a green dreth, thtanding next to a man. The man wath wearing a blue coat, with a green thirt, and brown panth. He had purple hair. And the girl wath wearing a crown, while holding the man with a rope. Gamzee hath been in thith room already, I can tell. How? Becauthe the painting hath theveral thtab woundth. Why? I have... no idea. I hope KK and Gamzee get back thoon. Hopefully both of them intact.


	10. Chapter 9: Miracles

**I HAVE LITERALLY BEEN WAITING TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER. I wanted to write this one soooooooo much, but if I did it earlier, it would make no sense. So, enjoy it. ENJOY IT SO HARD. Make your mother's sock drawer proud. ~enderRaven**

**Chapter 9: Miracles (Karkat's P.O.V.)**

We've been walking for... How long, now? I've forgotten. It feels like we've been walking forever. We might have been. For all I know at this point, my whole previous life could have been one big dream, and walking down a straight, endless hallway was my reality. I honestly wasn't sure at this point. But the honking plagued us most of the way. I can't remember when it stopped, but the most frightening moment was when I realized that there wasn't any more honking. I had looked around, confused, but there wasn't a Makara in sight. Now, I still can't see any Subjugglators, but I know that they're there.

"Hey, Garry." I say.

"Yes?" Garry replies.

"Have you ever met Gamzee?" I ask.

Garry looks shocked, but quickly regains his composure. "Who?"

"Funny looking symbol on his shirt- like mine, but purple- wears face paint, makes lots of honking noises. Ever seen him?" I stare at him.

Garry seems to contemplate this. "No." But I know he's lying.

"Oh, okay then." I sigh. We continue to walk in silence, Ib, Garry, and I. I look over at Ib, and watch her. Her skirt matches her scarf, and her eyes. Her white blouse compliments the rest of the outfit nicely. She looks very pretty. Oh, geez, I'm starting to think like a Maryam. I try to ignore her, but she is one of those people who are quiet, and shy, and kind of blend into the background, but are impossible to ignore. I flush slightly as she looks in my direction. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Am I developing red feelings for this girl? She's not even a troll! But, I suppose that Kanaya and Rose are together, and same with Vriska and John. Maybe... No. I couldn't do that. Maybe eventually, but there isn't enough time to think about this. It isn't safe, and it isn't healthy. I shy away from her gaze, and stare at the shuffling of my own feet. Garry looks over at me, and seems to understand.

"Hey, Karkat." He whispers.

"Yeah?"

"Talk to her if you must. She won't hurt you."

"...I don't think so. Not right now. There is plenty of time to talk later."

"There might not be as much time as you think." Garry tells me, a note of warning in his voice. He's right. Anything could happen. Now or never, I guess.

"Hey, Ib." I call playfully.

"Yes, Karkat?"

"Catch!" I toss her my rose. She catches it flawlessy.

"Karkat, this is your life! You shouldn't play around with it." She scolds.

"It's okay. I trust you. You wouldn't hurt it, would you?" I ask.

"Of course not, but..."

"Then there's nothing to worry about." I smile at her. She just stares at me and shakes her head slightly, smirking. We continue walking, but then I start hearing noises again. But, they seem... different. Closer. Much, much closer.

_HONK... honk... HONK... honk..._

"Hey, Garry, Ib, do you guys hear something?" I ask.

_honk... HONK... honk... HONK..._

"Yeah. Is that... honking?" Ib replies.

_HONK... honk... HONK... honk..._

"Be careful." Garry whispers.

_honk... HONK... honk... HONK..._

"Hello. I'M GAMZEE! And I need to tell you something. TIME TO DIE, BROTHER!" Gamzee jumps out of nowhere, screaming , and grinning crazily. He lunges at Garry with his clubs. I shove him away at the last second, grunting with the effort.

"Gamzee, stop!" I shout.

"Karbro, stay out of this! GET BACK!" Gamzee growls.

"No. Stay away from Garry. He did nothing to hurt you." I am completely calm.

"I said... STAY OUT OF THIS!"Gamzee screams at me, before hitting me with a club. I fall backwards, shrieking in pain.

"Who... are you?" Garry looks frightened.

"You know who I am. BUT WHO ARE YOU?!" Gamzee asks.

"Get back!" Garry shouts. Gamzee inches closer to Garry.

"Your rose." Gamzee mutters.

"What?"

"YOUR ROSE, IDIOT! Where is it?" Gamzee demands.

"Gamzee, calm down." I shoosh him, and try to stroke him gently, which is what usually calms him down, but he pushes me away.

"THERE WILL BE NO CALMING DOWN, BROTHER. Only violence. AND THE VIOLENCE WILL NOT STOP. Until this guy is dead." Gamzee grinned evilly. He advances on me slowly, his clubs raised, his face paint smeared, and his eyes tinted an angry shade of red. He backs me up against the wall, and raises his club high.

"NOW!" Ib shrieks. She and Garry shove Gamzee, pushing him over with an angry _HONK. _We all run as fast as we can. And we run, and we run, and we run. And we don't stop. We won't ever stop, until we can get away. We won't ever be safe again, until we can get out of this insane asylum.

**HEEEEEEY! Sorry if my shipping is terrible. I couldn't think of anything to put, because I'm not a romantic person. I have never been on a date in my life. -_-' I don't really want to, because I don't want to have to deal with all that crap. But, as a result, I know NOTHING on romance. I have to read other romance stories, and guess from there. NO LEMONS! Hate those so much. They are like brain poison. THEY ARE BRAIN POISON! Don't ask me to write lemons. Ever. I will go on a Kankri-style rant on the evils of fanfic lemons. But in real life, I like to eat lemons. And limes. And all of the citrus. All of them. They are gooooooood. But seriously. No lemons. Oh, speaking of Kankri and his rants, I just bought a new turtle-neck sweater! And it is red! And it looks just like Kankri's sweater! So I bought it. I am actually wearing it right now. It's comfy. :33 Kaaaaankriiii! To clear up any confusion some people were having (For whatever reason), my top five favorite Homestuck characters; 1. Gamzee Makara, 2. Kankri Vantas, 3. Kurloz Makara, 4. Karkat Vantas, 5. Caliborn. Soooooooo, yeah. Is this chapter over? Oh, nope. Wait, just a sec. Gamzee needs to say something quick. Go ahead, Gamzee.**

tC: LoL. tHaNkS, sIsTeR. tHiS sToRy Is So FuNnY. bUt, I wOuLd NeVeR hUrT kArBro! :o(

tC: WoUlD i..?

tC: BuT gArRy... ThAt'S a WhOlE oThEr StOrY.

tC: i WiLl KiLl ThAt GuY iF iT's ThE lAsT tHiNg I dO.

tC: wHy?

tC: YoU'lL fInD oUt SoOn EnOuGh.

tC: :o)

**Dear lord, Gamzee. Why do you hate him so much? He seriously didn't do anything to hurt you. Did he? Or... He insulted a clown, didn't he. Mr. Garry insulted a clown, and now he must die. ...Seems legit. Whatever. Gamzee will get some spotlight time soon. And then you will get your understand on. ALL OF THE UNDERSTANDS. All of them. Oh, geez, I just realized that I was listening to the song "Purple Bard" from one of the Homestuck albums. WHAT A COINCIDENCE. (That was an excellent display of human sarcasm. :3) Oh, hell naw. What kind of emoticon does that mean? :3 + ) = :3). Is that emoticon, like, mustache emoticon, or something? Oh, now you're probably looking back to see if there is a mustache emoticon, aren't you. No? Huh. Well then. I guess this chapter is over. BY-E! ~enderRaven**


	11. Chapter 10: Mary's Sketchbook

**HeEeEeY! eNdEr IsN't HeRe RiGhT nOw, So I'lL wRiTe ThE iNtRo. ThE iNtRo! :o) HeY, wAnT mE tO dO a GoOd ImPrEsSiOn Of EnDeR? wAtCh ThIs. Oh, hello there! I'm ender! Sorry for the wait, I have lots of homework, blah blah blah de blah. This chapter is so awesome, just like the rest, blah de blah blah. Okay, I have run out of oxygen for talking with, so, to reward you for reading the entire intro of idiotic shenanigans, here, have a chapter. :o) AwEsOmE, rIgHt? ~Gamzee**

**Chapter 10: Mary's Sketchbook (Ib's P.O.V.)**

Ahh, my side hurts... First we walk for a long time, then that psychopath clown troll jumps out and attacks us. Now we're running, and running, and I can't seem to catch a break. Ugh... Karkat and Garry are right beside me, so I know that nobody is missing. Besides the clown... where did he go? Uh-oh, we turned our back on the body... that's not good. I wonder why he attacked us, anyway? Who even was he?

"Hey, Karkat." I call.

"Yeah?" Karkat responds.

"Who was that guy?" I ask.

"That was Gamzee." He replies, sighing.

"Why did Gamzee attack us?" I ask him.

"Well, I'm not sure, honestly. Usually he doesn't attack unless provoked. Or, he's sober. That would make sense, since this place is lacking in pie and Faygo." Karkat starts mumbling to himself. I stare confusedly. This is stupid. It's bad enough that we have art all over that wants to kill us, but now a crazy clown too? It's just a bit annoying, is all. Speaking of art, I wonder if there is any nearby... We haven't been attacked by art in a while. It gives me a feeling, like... they're waiting for us. Not that there is much we can do about it, since the only exit is there. Speaking of art, I just noticed that there are headless mannequins lining the walls. They aren't making any move to stop us, chase us, or attack us, for some reason. They are all holding hands, and they are all wearing yellow dresses. It is a relief to not get attacked, since there are mannequins as far forward as I can see. If they suddenly do decide to attack us, we're as good as dead. I look over at my two companions. Garry looks mildly disturbed, as he looked around. And Karkat just looks... actually, I can't tell his emotion. It looks like a mixture of fear, disgust, and anger. Why do they both look so disturbed? I mean, sure they're mannequins but... then I look up. Those hideous little blue dolls are hanging from ropes on the ceiling, and they are all looking directly at me. Why are they looking at me? I am just as disturbed as the two guys now. I look forward, and I see the end of the hallway, and the door out. The mannequins, and the dolls don't reach the end of the hallway, they stop a few yards from the door. I walk up and try the door, but it's locked.

"There must be a key, right? maybe we should look around some... more..." I falter, as I look behind me, and see that the art has moved. The dolls are grinning, and their stuffing is starting to pour out of any and every tear in the dolls fabric. The mannequins have all come together, to form a solid block, preventing us from going back. "Now what?" I ask Garry.

"Well, I found a key a while back, and I've been waiting to use it... maybe it will work on this door?" Garry smiled.

"Go for it! It couldn't hurt, right?" I smile back. Garry sticks the key into the door, and twists it, unlocking the door. The door creaks open, revealing the strong smell of crayons, and the dark, yet bright at the same time atmosphere, which I've come to hate over time. The mannequins behind us start to inch forward, forcing us to keep moving. As we walk down the one-way, bright pink road, I see an old face that I had believed to be dead. Garry scowls, Karkat snarls, and I gasp. The young-looking blond girl is staring right into my eyes, grinning with the expression of a spider who had just stumbled onto a stray fly.

"Hey, Ib," Mary grins, "Long time no see."

**Oh, snap. I'm so evil! :D The next chapter, I am looking forward to writing. Let me put it this way. It will take a while, and **_**it will not be what you were expecting.**_** Ehehe. Speaking of things taking a while, sorry about the wait for this chapter. 1. I have lots of homework, and I'm not doing so hot in math as it is. 2. I don't have much internet time lately. 3. I completely forgot about the story until today! Sorry. -_-' But, the chapter is here, and that is good, right? Now, onto the next one, as we continue with the story! Yay! Hey, have any of you guys heard of the song "megpoid gumi - carnival"? Or, it's something along those lines. It's a good song to go along with Mary's evilness. :) Until next time! *Salutes* ~enderRaven**


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